Shower
by Dearing
Summary: Chris had told her about one’s first kiss. She told her about how the first one had to be the best one. Her personal experience with Lyle however had hardly been…pleasant. SetsunaxFeldt.
1. Shower

Hm...this might take some explaining.  
Basically, I've had this sort of Feldt-runs-to-Setsuna-after-being-kissed-by-Lyle plot line ever since I saw the preview of episode 4. It'd be nice if they got together in some form by the end (Not that I mind SetsunaxMarina, but I just like this pairing better), but Gundam 00 isn't really focused on romantic sub-plots, and that's fine by me.

That said, some people might find this fic a little...strange and the characters are a little bit OOC, especially towards the end. I don't really want to give anything away, but if you want to know more, just read the ntoes at the end.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

**SHOWER**

Five years ago, Chris had told her about one's first kiss. She told her about how the first one had to be the best one. You had to find the right guy, the right place, the right atmosphere. Nothing could go wrong, because you could only have one first kiss. It would always be the one you would remember. And if you got everything right; the right guy, the right place, the right atmosphere…then it would be the most magical, incredible, wonderful moment you could ever experience.

Fireworks would go off in your head, your entire body would feel warm and aglow, and when the magical moment ended, it would leave you wanting more.

That had been what Chris had told her.

Her personal experience of the whole matter however had harldy been…pleasant.

She of course, knew the reason why everything had gone wrong. A cold, metallic Launch Bay hardly called for the perfect place or atmosphere, and as for the right man…

He was 29 years old, a full ten years older then her, a near mirror image of her older brother. Something had stirred within her chest when a face that had been missing from her life for four years suddenly walked through the doorway. Sleeping feelings had awoken when a near perfect replica of _his_ voice met her ears.

Everything changed though, a few moments ago, when he stole her first kiss from her.

It had been sudden, it had been simple, and if she was honest with herself it left a bad taste in her mouth.

To make matters worse, his crass comment about meeting at his room later earned him a slap to the face.

Then she ran. As fast as she could, Haro's electronic cries following her as tears streamed from her eyes. Never had the corridors of the Ptolemaios felt so small and narrow. She turned corners blindly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anguish, her mind trying hopelessly to rid the images that flashed before her closed eyes as she tries to blink away the tears.

Then she hit something. Something warm and soft, his body stumbling back slightly as he stopped the two of them becoming a messy pile of tangled limbs in the corridor.

Then she just lost control. The tears refused to be held back, pain ridden sobs escaped her throat as she buried her face in his chest, her arms worming around his waist and up his back to pull him closer. She didn't even care who it was she had collided with. She just wanted to let it all out, have a shoulder to cry on and generally be console.

"Feldt Grace,"

A part of her mind recognised the owner of the voice as Setsuna, his tone ever calm, although she recognised a tint of unease to his words. That said, there was no anger in his voice either, no disgust as it had been when the Trinity girl had stolen a kiss from him.

"Feldt….are you crying?"

She didn't reply, her sobs dulling down to the occasional pathetic whimper. She knew he would scoff at her reasons behind her distress, stare at her stonily as she tried to make him understand why a simple kiss would cause her so much distress.

Slowly, carefully, she felt the pilot's arms come around her slim waist, one of his hands gently pushing her awkwardly down the corridor towards the crew quarters…towards _his _quarters.

She didn't try to stop him. She felt miserable and tainted. She also knew Setsuna wasn't the kind of man that would take advantage of her (Or possibly even _know_ how to take advantage of her), she just kept her head buried in his shoulder, the tears now running silently as he carefully pulled his coat off and then gently did the same with hers.

She didn't even resist when he pushed her towards the bathroom, she just didn't want to let him go. She felt venerable she realised. She wanted comfort and she didn't care where it came from. She didn't even look up with curiosity as he pulled her into the corner shower and turned the water on.

Wonderfully warm liquid poured down on her, soaking her clothes, her hair clinging to her skull small streams pooled in the soles of her boots.

She felt his arms slowly come around her once more, as though he was trying to protect her from what was hurting her. Tears melded with water as she rested her head against his chest, the soaked fabric of his shirt feeling strangely comforting against her cheek as he leant his chin against her damp hair.

She couldn't remember how long the two of them stood there, their clothes steadily getting heavier under the soft barrage of water from above. She felt incredibly safe though, memories of not so long ago fading with the combination of warm water and familiar company.

It all felt so…right.

She slowly tilted her head up to look into the pilot's tanned face, her cheeks flushing slightly as she watched drops of water drip off his sopping wet hair, his dark eyes staring blankly ahead, his back leaning up against the bone white wall behind him.

"Setsuna…"

He looked down at her as she pulled back slightly in his embrace, his brown orbs betraying his concern.

"Why were you crying, Feldt Grace?"

She didn't reply, not with words. She stared up at him, her heart thudding hard in her chest, before letting her eyes slowly close, her lips carefully pressing against his.

She felt him freeze. She knew she was being bold. She knew any second now he could push her away and tell her curtly to get out.

But he didn't.

He was careful and unsure of himself, his tense body, a lifetime of war and conflict telling him to be wary, slowly relaxing as he moved a hand to brush away a stray lock from her face.

She felt strangely light-headed, yet at the same time every nerve in her body felt alive. And when the need for air broke them apart, she felt a distinct pang in her chest that refused to leave until he hesitantly captured her lips once more.

And when the water finally turned cold, and he handed her a towel as she dropped the waterlogged shirt on the floor, she realised perhaps Chris had been wrong.

Maybe sometimes…the _second_ kiss was the one you would always remember.

* * *

Alright, like I said before, I had a general idea for this fic when I first saw Lyle kiss Feldt in the episode 4 preview, but while I was reading College Fool's Gundam 00 Season 2 Drabble Anthology, there was a part of the forth chapter that reminded me of something a friend had told me while I was back in College.  
He told me that when he was feeling depressed, or if he'd had a really bad day, sometimes he'd find a old t-shirt and shorts and take a shower. Apparently when he took off the completely sodden clothes, all his depression and misery went with it. I tried it once or twice and it actually worked...although my parents weren't so impressed with the large puddles and sopping wet clothes I left lying around.

Anyway, aside from the revelation that I had some pretty strange friends through college, that's basically the story behind this story. I always apprciate reviews of course, but please, don't say how strange most of the fic is. Like I said above, everything gets pretty OOC halfway through, and I just generally wanted to write some FeldtxSetsuna stuff because I've never done it before.

I hope you enjoyed it,

Dearing


	2. Before This Moment

In all honesty, I wasn't actually planning to extend this fic any further. Every time I try to lengthen a story like this, it either doesn't turn out the way I planned (E.G.: A Man Named John) or I never finish it (The Matter of Choice). However, ideas keep forming, and I'm hoping the fact 00 is currently airing new episodes will keep the ideas flowing.

So here you go, the previous chapter from Setsuna's perspective, basically trying to explain the in-universe reason for his actions.

Enjoy

**

* * *

**

**BEFORE THIS MOMENT**

Before this moment, he had never thought much about Feldt Grace.

Before this moment, she had been the quiet girl. The one who occasionally gave him information on a tactical situation, the one that very rarely spoke. The one that was constantly pestered by the girl he knew as Christina Sierra.

Before this moment, their interactions had been few and far between. It had only been after the death of Lockon…the first Lockon…that he had even really acknowledged her existence beyond professional involvement. It had been her influence after all that had made him sit down and write a letter to Marina Ismail, high above the Earth as the Exia lay dying around him.

Before this moment, she had been on his mind sparingly in the years that followed Celestial Being's destruction. There had been nights of fitful dreams, where he saw her and Ptolemy's other crewmembers screaming in pain as the ship exploded around them. Images of their frail bodies sucked lifelessly out into space, their helmet's visors cracked and smashed. He had thought her dead, just like his comrades, and there had been nights when he had awoken with a gasp, his body drenched in cold sweat.

Before this moment though, she had always been a part of a crowd in his dreams. Sumeragi Lee Noreiga, Christina Sierra, Lichtendahl Tsery, Lasse Aeon…Feldt Grace. These were all faces he attributed to the same group. They all cried out in fear as Ptolemy detonated. They all tried to cling to each other as the Bridge explosively decompressed. They all had the same picture of terror forever etched into their faces as they drifted through the solar system.

Even when he had returned, four years later, before this moment he hadn't given her much thought. He had been…relieved…that she had survived (Although he didn't show it), but he had also been glad to see the others as well. Lasse Aeon, Tieria Erde, Ian Vashti. They were all alive when others were not. Lockon Stratos, Christina Sierra, Lichtendahl Tsery, the doctor Joyce Moreno were confirmed dead and he mourned their loss in his own way. Sumeragi Lee Noreiga and Allelujah Haptism were missing, but they could be found and brought home.

Before this moment she had been one of them. She had been a comrade, a fellow member of Celestial Being, perhaps he could even consider her a friend, but aside from this, nothing more to him.

But that had all been before this moment.

He didn't even see her coming, the two colliding as he rounded the corner on his way to the Bridge.

As they stumbled back she buried her face in his chest, her arms finding their way around his waist and up his back as she sobbed uncontrollably into his jacket.

"Feldt Grace,"

He stood there rigidly in the corridor, his eyes wide with shock yet his voice somehow managed to remain calm. She was far too close for comfort. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his, her pink hair gently tickled his chin, he could even feel her heart thudding against her chest.

But more importantly, he could feel tears quickly seeping through his shirt.

"Feldt…are you crying?"

She didn't reply, although her sobs did dull down to the occasional whimper.

He definitely surprised himself at the note of concern laced through his voice. His last dealing with a crying girl had been…unhelpful, and had ended with Saji Crossroad getting a face full of pillow while her angry screams had followed him out of the apartment.

The quietly crying girl currently in his personal space however was a different kind of upset, she wasn't kicking and screaming, bawling her eyes out until someone gave her attention.

In all honesty, she appeared to be generally miserable, seeking comfort rather then attention.

She just wanted the misery to go away.

So he carefully slipped a arm around her waist and led her back towards his quarters to try and help her rid her mind, at least temporarily, of the thoughts that cause her pain, through the only way he knew:

Rain.

Since the day he killed his parents, rain had become a friend and ally to him in his mental war against images no human should ever see. Every storm, every light shower. Every time it rained, he would go outside and feel the droplets of water wash across his face, his sinister memories fading from his mind as he would cast his eyes towards the dark skies above, arms outstretched.

He would stand there for as long as it took, ignoring the strange looks of passers-by, letting the rain wash everything away until, at least for that moment, he could experience peace.

Though the memories would always came back for him though, perhaps this method would have a more permanent effect on Feldt.

But right now, there was no rain, no showers or storms to use, and even though Ptolemy was at least a mile underwater, he doubted throwing her into a flooded airlock would have the same effect.

So he settled for the next best thing.

So he pushed her gently into his quarters, making sure he locked the door (The last thing he needed was someone calling in an emergency and getting the wrong idea.) before removing their coats and leading her to the bathroom.

More often then not, rain never came when the pain of his memories reared it's ugly head. As such, he had quickly developed a way that wasn't as effective as actual rain, but came fairly close.

He pulled her into the corner shower and turned it on.

Warm water poured down on top of him as he brought his arms around her properly, their clothes quickly drenched as he rested his head on top of her soaked hair.

Her whimpers gradually subsided into silence, nothing but the sound of water hitting the tiled floor wetly around them.

Her body was warm against his, her hands lying flat on his shoulder blades, her heart almost beating in time with his.

For the first time in a while, he felt a general peace overcome him as he stood there, his back against the bone white tiles, his…comrade…in his arms. Rain washed away bad dreams away temporarily to be sure, but this experience…was so much different.

Right now, he felt as though he could spend the rest of his life in this moment; free from the dark memories of his past, thoughts of war and conflict blurred by the rhythm of the water against his head, and although _he_ had his arms around _her_, he couldn't remember a time since before his mother's death that he had ever felt so secure.

"Setsuna,"

His thoughts were shattered as he felt her pull back slightly from his embrace, dark brown meeting aquatic green as their eyes locked amid the torrent of water still pouring down on their heads.

"Why were you crying, Feldt Grace?"

She didn't reply, her eyes stared up at him from under a sodden curtain of pink, filled with emotions he didn't quite recognise.

Then her eyelids closed, and she pressed her mouth against his.

His entire body went rigid, his eyes went wide with shock.

He could feel her lips against his, going no further, remaining chaste and innocent.

He was confused, he was wary and afraid of this unfamiliar situation. A voice screamed at him to push her away, to back off and demand she get out.

Perhaps it was fortunate it was a surprisingly small voice.

He felt light-headed, a different kind of warmth from that of the water slowly easing the tension away from his body, his eye closely closed as he lifted a hand to brush a stray lock form her face.

One kiss became many kisses, each chaste and innocent, neither party fully understanding their own actions and both only vaguely aware of the implications.

Before this moment, he had never thought much about Feldt Grace.

Before this moment, she had been a comrade, nothing more, nothing less.

But when the moment ended, and he lay alone and awake in his bed many hours later…

He found his thoughts filled with her smiling face, keeping far darker memories at bay.

* * *

Before now, I never realised how hard it was to write from Setsuna's perspective. The guy shows little to no emotion most of the time, so it's hard to get inside his head. if he's a little OOC, all I can say is sorry.

Don't know when the next chapter will be, or if I'll do another. It all depends on if I can find starting points to work with. For the moment, if I do another chapter, I'm going to try and write it so you could input it into episodes without destroying them (So these two chapters would be set in the indeterminable amount of time between when Lockon kisses Feldt and when Setsuna finds Marina in the observation room. If the actual plot turns towards a Setsuna/Marina ending, I may re-edit those scenes to something more Setsuna/Feldt friendly, but only time will tell I guess. I also need to think of a new name for this fic. I was thinking of Cleansing, but I'm afraid this title might be too close to Cleanse by Ominae. I'll have a thing about it.

I hope you enjoyed, and hopefully I might have something else in the near future,

Dearing


	3. Is It Possible?

Don't know if many people have noticed, but there's been a distinct lack of Feldt recently. It feels like the only reason she was brought back was to help boot up the 00 and slap Lyle when he kissed her. Sure she's had a few lines here and there, but not a lot to work with. As such, this chapter comes from the same episode as the last two. It's not as good as the last two in my opinion, but I hope you'll enjoy it.

With any luck, I might be able to find something to better to work with soon.

Enjoy!

* * *

**IS IT POSSIBLE?**

"There you are,"

She had a good reason for being here, her ear pressed to the door mere moments after Setsuna had stepped inside. It wasn't spying, it was…curiosity. That's how she rationalised it. She was curious as to the nature of the mysterious meeting he had mentioned to her as they had dried off after their unexpected shower a few hours ago.

Neither of them had spoken of the…events…that had transpired within that small cubicle.

"Setsuna,"

Something twitched in her heart as she heard the Princess of Azadistan's voice from within the observation lounge. A meeting between lovers perhaps? She had been forced to listen to Mileina's constant theories on the subject when Setsuna had returned with the older woman. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it; she hadn't even stopped the young girl from rushing off the Bridge to confirm her speculation.

But that had been then, before Lockon…Lyle…had kissed her.

Before Setsuna had comforted her.

"What's wrong?"

There was a long pause. She pressed her ear harder against the cold metal door.

"Setsuna…won't you come with me to Azadistan?"

Her blood turned cold, a hand going to her mouth to muffle a gasp that escaped her throat. Not a meeting between lovers, but a request to run away together? The twitch in her heart became clench as she pressed herself harder against the door.

"I want to rebuild the country; to make it a nation where people can live normally, without conflict. I'd like you to help me,"

The clench in her heart lessened slightly. So that was it; not a distressed lover trying to pull her man away from his duty, but a friend who wanted aid from a comrade.

That said, she was still trying to take him away, and that hurt her for reasons she didn't fully understand.

"I can't do that,"

Another feeling fluttered in her stomach as his reply, voice ever neutral, came muffled through the door.

"Why not?"

"All I can do is fight,"

The fluttering stopped as something akin to a stone seemed to develop in the pit of her abdomen. She felt confused, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, her brain telling her to run but her legs remaining firmly locked in place by the door.

"Don't say something so sad. Setsuna…nothing is born from fighting. All you do is lose things,"

The words of a pacifist. Through her confusion and pain, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"I thought so too, until I joined Celestial Being," she pressed a hand to the door as she heard footsteps within, "but something _can_ be born from destruction. I am going to cut down the world's distortion with the Gundam, for the future. That is the reason the Gundam and I fight,"

She continued to smile as she closed her eyes, the hand closing around her fingers against the door. It was comforting to know that even after so many years, Setsuna was still Setsuna.

For the longest while, there was silence, the Princess digesting his words, the pilot undoubtedly staring at her quietly, waiting for her to speak.

When no answer came, he spoke for her.

"I have made my decision. I am sorry if you do not believe my way of thinking is a right one. If you will excuse me…"

"Setsuna, wait!"

The door hissed open before she had a chance to run, her weight against the metal slab pushing her forwards until she hit something warm and soft, his heart beating quietly in her ear as her supporting hand fell onto his shoulder.

More silence followed.

A wave of dread and nausea at her current position washed over her body, her limbs locked as her eyes stared wide and fearfully at the doorway, unable to look up into his dark brown orbs.

"Feldt?"

"S-Setsuna!" his voice brought her back to reality as she stood up straight in a heartbeat, her arms pinning themselves to her sides as she took several steps back, "I-I was just walking past a-and I tripped and I…"

"Feldt," he didn't seem angry or upset, merely concerned, "Were you listening at the door?"

Her cheeks burned scarlet as embarrassment quickly washed over her, her teeth digging into her bottom lip hard as he watched her carefully, awaiting her reply.

"I…I have to go,"

"Feldt…"

She took off at a run before he could stop her, her feet pounding against the deck until she reached the elevator at the under of the corridor, her fist slamming into the various buttons as the door hissed shut.

Her head hit the wall with a dull thump as she slowly slid to the floor, her breath coming out in heavy pants as she cast her eyes to the light above.

A torrent of different feelings and emotions washed over her as she sat in the descending car; embarrassment, shame, and self hate naming just few.

She felt deceitful and dirty, listening in on other people's conversations, but at the same time, she felt relief. Setsuna decided to stay. She took comfort in that, even through she felt terrible for the way that she had acquired the information.

Comfort…

She felt so incredibly out of character, just listening at the door. Why did she do it? Why did she feel threatened by the Princess of Azadistan trying to take Setsuna away? Her mind was a mess, her heart was beating erratically. She felt…

She felt…

She felt familiar feelings. Proper emotions she hadn't felt for easily four years, not mere jumps of the heart at the recognition of a face that had haunted her dreams.

Lockon…these were feelings she associated with Lockon. The _real_ Lockon…Neil Dylandy.

As the elevator slowed, a thought she had never considered slowly dawned on her, a notion that terrified and excited her at the same time.

She had kissed him. It had been in the spur of the moment, she knew that. She had concluded her actions had been spurred on by a combination of the atmosphere, warmth, and the kindness Setsuna had shown towards her.

It never occurred to her something deeper was rooted with her actions.

The elevator ground to a halt, the door opening onto empty corridor as she fell back without a squeak, her arms splayed wide.

It was a notion she had never thought of before, one she had never considered before this moment.

But as she lay there, alone and keep the elevator from going anywhere else, she dared herself to ask herself the question that she feared to answer.

Was it possible? Had she fallen…for Setsuna F. Seiei?

* * *

Hmm...again, not as good as the first too, but maybe that's because the last two chapters were esentially the same chapter from two different views. I don't think I'll write a Setsuna perspective for this one though. Suffice to say, he hasn't come to Feldt's conclusion yet, but he's a bit bewildered by her actions.

I'm hoping I'll have something more to work with in the future, but worst case scenario, I think I'll just warp some Setsuna/Marina scenes to my cause if needs be.

And if there's none of that...well...I'll just make it up! :D

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. Hopefully there will be another soon. If anyone has any ideas for this fic (including a new name, because it's sort of heading away from showers and such) I'd love to hear them.

But in case I don't see you: Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukah/anything else people celebrate at this time of year, and here's wishing you good luck and lack of writer's block in the year to come!

thanks for reading!

Dearing


	4. I'm Glad You're Alive

I have to admit, this one's been sitting on the back-burner for a while.

When I started to write it, I felt it's presence within the story was kind of weak. It feels to me to be too similair to the first chapter, but I felt I had to add it because episode four was a long time ago, and I needed to bring the story nearer the end of the series.

Anyway, this chapter takes place during episode 17, somewhere between the point where Setsuna is being tended too by Anew and when he walks into the hanger and announces he's going to head out into battle.

It's not great, and it's incredibly short, but hey, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

**I****'****M GLAD YOU****'****RE ALIVE**

Emptiness.

Watching him quietly as he gazed into the darkened eyes of the 00 Gundam from the observation deck in the calm before the storm, She suddenly recognised the feeling that had been sitting in the pit of her stomach for the past few weeks.

So much time had passed between the present and that first moment they'd shared. Images still flashed across her dreams. She could still feel his embrace around her, the soft barrage of water from above, and the warmth of his lips against hers. Then she made her discovery; the realisation of her feelings for him…

She kept quiet of course. Setsuna had enough on his mind without worrying about the likely unrequited affections of one Feldt Grace. He was a soldier first of course. It had taken him months warm up to his fellow Meisters enough to even hold a decent conversation. It had only been towards the end of the original interventions, when they had talked over the wreckage of the Dynames, that he'd actually even held a proper conversation with her.

Yes, she very much doubted her feelings for him would ever be returned.

And after what happened a few hours following that first kiss, she doubted if she would be able to look him in the eye ever again.

Even now, embarrassment shot through her veins at the mere memory. She had been purposefully avoiding him ever since. She still felt dirty and deceitful even now for listening in on what was obviously a private conversation. She had still offered him pleasantries in their brief meetings in the hallways; a quick hello a simple nod, and she had continued to provide information and briefings, but the whole experience left her feeling…empty inside.

Then came the attack on Memento Mori…

And for the first time since Celestial Being reunited, she found herself cut off from Setsuna.

At first, the empty feeling had been bearable; just a dull pain in her chest, the equivalent of a small stomach ache, only higher up.

But a few days soon turned into a week, and the pain slowly increased with every turn past midnight.

As the second week reached mid-way, her comrades started to notice the changes. Anew noted she hadn't been eating well, Mileina often pointed out the dark rings under her eyes from the lack of sleep.

By the end of the second week, the feelings she now associated with emptiness were affecting her work skills. She fell asleep feeling cold inside no matter how many blankets she threw over herself, she woke up with tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes red from crying.

She never considered for a moment the reason behind her pain. Never did she suspect that their one missing pilot was the true motive behind those dark days.

Never did she look back to almost five years ago, and notice a similarity to personal events she had experienced in the first few weeks after the death of Neil Dylandy.

Then…Setsuna came back.

He was wounded, a bullet to the arm and painkillers pulsing through his blood, but he was alive.

And with his return…the pain went away.

But until now, she had kept her distance.

At first, she'd told herself it was for medical reasons. He had been hurt, the last thing Anew needed was to have her hovering nearby. Then the excuse became the need to perform her duties.

Finally however, her yearning to see him overtook all other impulses and excuses.

And now here she stood, Setsuna unaware of her presence, embarrassment be dammed.

"S…Setsuna,"

He turned to her as his name escaped her lips, his dark brown eyes blinking in surprise to see the pink haired girl standing before him.

"Feldt Grace,"

A pilot suit hung in his hand, a clear sign that he was preparing to move out again. Even after he had almost been killed, she knew he would insist on heading out into the fray once again.

No one, not even she would be able to stop the stubborn pilot.

"Feldt?"

His voice sent a shiver a down her spine, a small part of her brain relishing in the ever neutral tone that had been absent from her life for far too long.

She found herself unable to look him in the eye however, her light orbs cast down towards her booted feet as she clasped her hands in front of her.

A thousand different response ran through her mind, from simple hellos to full blown confessions. She opened and closed her mouth several times to reply, but her voice seemed to abandon her before she could speak a single syllable.

"Feldt,"

His boots came into her line of vision, the pilot suit still held loosely in one hand. He was so very close, only a few centimetres away. Close enough to touch, to feel, to…kiss.

Her cheeks suddenly stained themselves red at that last thought, but her eyes slowly moved her gaze from the floor nonetheless, aquatic green moving up to lock with dark brown.

He still stared down at her, his face ever neutral, his dark messy hair falling across his head, his eyes betraying apparent concern.

He was here.

He was alive, and standing her, with her.

Gazing up at him, she had the sudden urge to cry.

"Feldt?" she blinked in surprise as he raised a gloved hand to her face, his thumb wiping away salty drops of moisture before they could travel down her cheeks, "Are you crying?"

She bit her lip as memories of a similar enquire from what felt like an eternity ago flashed across her mind, her hands flexing uneasily as she felt the warmth of his hand against her cheek.

She took a step forward…and buried her face into his chest.

He didn't freeze as he had done last time, her arms coming round his waist as she let hot tears trickle down her cheeks. He just stood there quietly, one hand slowly moving to her side as the other discarded the pilot suit and wove itself across her back and came to rest against her soft hair.

Yes, he was real. She wasn't dreaming. She could feel his warmth seeping through her clothes, his heart beating strong against his chest, his slight breath against her hair as he rested his chin against it.

He was real; he was holding her against his body, giving her comfort as he had done before.

So why was she crying?

Her brain quickly gave it's answer.

"I'm sorry," her voice was soft and quiet against his chest, "You must think I'm pathetic. But the truth is…I'm glad,"

She held him tighter when he didn't reply, a small smile gracing her lips however as he pulled her a little closer in return.

"I'm glad you're alive, Setsuna,"

* * *

More confessions. :D

As I've said before on the previous chapters, Felt has been decidedly absent for most of the season. In addition, Marina hasn't been anywhere near Setsuna for a while either, and the only time she _did_ meet up with him it wasn't on Ptolmey so I couldn't rewrite the scene to put Feldt in her place. I flitted with the idea for a chapter to have Setsuna checking up on Feldt after he killed Anew, and having her console him, but the ideas were just patchy so I don't think I'll write that one up. Anyone else is welcome to the idea though.  
In all honesty, the only reason I finished this chapter was because of the first real Feldt/Setsuna scen of season 2, when she gave him the flower. it really got the ideas going again, but it was also a long way aways from episode four, so I finished this chapter first in order to bring this fic closer to the end.

With only three episodes left however, I'm not entirely sure if anyting will develop between Felt and Setsuna. If it did, that would be perfect for me, but not if it's rushed. I have an idea for a chapter from Setsuna's perspective concerning that moment, but I might actually wait for the end of the series to see what I have to work with before I do any more with this fic.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it,

Dearing


End file.
